Wednesday, 28 November 2007

PENBLWYDD HAPUS MAM

Penblwydd Hapus i ti
Penblwydd Hapus i ti
Penblwydd Hapus i Maaa-aaam
Penblwydd Hapus i ti !

Hip hip - hwre, hip hip - hwre, hip hip - hwre.

Yn meddwl amdanat ar dy ddiwrnod arbennig. Mwynha dy barti heno.
Llawer o gariad a swsus mawr x x x x x x x x

Sunday, 25 November 2007

SABADEE FROM LAOS - THE LAND OF A MILLION ELEPHANTS

Marc has gone off for the day with Martha and Tomos doing something on the river involving an inner tube of a lorry wheel and a lifejacket, which he can tell you all about again. As I only got my 25m swimming badge about a week before my driving licence it didn't really appeal to me and I've got plans for this afternoon that involve a mango smoothie and foot massage, a far more relaxing prospect, so I'd better get on with it.

We seem to have done so much in the last few days and we have certainly travelled hundreds and hundreds of kilometres by boat and bus, so if you're sitting comfortably ...

We crossed the border from Thailand to Laos after a lot of kerfuffle of being stamped out of one country and stamped into the next. The People's Democratic Republic of Laos is one of the poorest and most remote countries in the world, having opened its doors to the rest of the world only in the last 10 years. We were packed into a long slow-boat for the 2 day journey down the mightly Mekong river, stopping overnight at Pak Beng en route. We had been warned beforehand that time-keeping in Laos is a very hit and miss affair - "in a minute'' can mean anything from half an hour to next week and we waited an hour and a half in the boat on a rock-hard wooden bench before the boat left the pier. It was a hazy morning and soon after leaving, just beyond the banks became dense, lush forests of bamboo, banana and dozens of other different trees. The river itself is as brown as gravy and is infamous for it's strong currents and we steered our way through whirlpools and around rocks, some poor souls (on the other side thank heavens) getting soaked a few times by waves that splashed into the boat. The amazing scenery and sight of tiny settlements living, working and playing on the banks of the river took our minds off the fact that our bottoms were fast asleep and legs stiff and crampy.

After 8 long hours as dusk fell, we pulled over into the tiny village of Pak Beng. No sooner had we wobbled our way down the gang-plank onto the sand-bank, we were surrounded by boys keen to run off with our ruck-sacks and guesthouse owners falling over each other to get our business. We settled for a guesthouse with the promise of a hot shower for 2 minutes - this turned out to be no minutes but what can you expect for 2 quid a night. As the town runs on generators the electricity supply is cut off at 10.30pm (and it still hadn't come back when we left at 8.30am) and we were provided with a candle for the night (but no matches). We left Pak Beng for another 8 hour journey to Luang Prabang, this time in a slightly more plush boat - this one had curtains and tassels and a floor - the boat the day before was just the metal hull underfoot. The second day was a bit sunnier and Marc enjoyed it more than the first - but I dozed through a large part of it! We saw more life on the second day and stopped a few times to pick up Lao passengers and drop off provisions and the children would all run down and wave. And so we arrived at Luang Prabang, the old capital city, just as it got dark and once again we were accosted by the local guesthouse possy, but this time Marc made sure that there was hot water.

LUANG PRABANG

It is said that Luang Prabang is a tonic for the soul and it's easy to see why. It retains the influence of French Colonial times in its language and architecture and it is an UNESCO World Heritage site. No large vehicles are allowed into the town and chickens and small black pigs wonder around the streets of the old quarter down by the river. Monks collect alms from the people at dawn every day and there is a general curfew which means that all businesses must close at 11.30pm to enable everyone to be at their registered abode by midnight - this includes tourists.

We took a trip out to the Khung Si waterfalls in the afternoon which were lovely. They are a series of 7 waterfalls and aquamarine pools set in lush vegetation with a rope-swing over one of the bigger pools. Yes, there will be photos of Marc swinging into the water following soon! In the park we also saw Phet who is a 7 year old Indo-Chinese tiger. Phet's mother was shot by poachers just after she was born. By the time she was four days old, she had been sold 4 times within the illegal wildlife trade and was rescued just in time. Today she is a stunning 7 year old creature and the figurehead of an organisation to Keep Tigers Free. We also met some other great little chaps - small black Asiatic Moon Bears (they have a white crescent shape on their chests). These were also rescued from the terrible fate of a life in a bile-farm. We just had to buy a t-shirt with bear prints all over it.

We ate a hearty supper on a makeshift table from a street vendor then wondered around the night market which is just a riot of colour and incredible smells. The handicrafts here are absolutely beautiful - I wanted to buy just about everything. All this talent is so incredibly cheap to buy - we were reminded in a note in the back of a menu of a restaurant owned by a Westerner that the average daily earning here is less than we were paying for a bottle of beer and while there are 20,000 Lao kips to one pound and we could be trying to barter for a few thousand kips off a price, we are only talking about a matter of pennies for us, but education and health provision for the families of these incredibly nice and polite people. I would really have liked to have spent more time here and will definately coming back one day (but I think I''ll fly in - I'm not doing that boat trip again!)

VANG VIENE

We arrived here yesterday afternoon after the most incredible journey, for more than one reason. As soon as we left Luang Prabang we started a 6 hour, 230km journey of twists and turns, up and downs across a series of interlocking valleys. It was just like driving up and down a corkscrew. I'm sure that as the crow flies, it was only about 50km in total. The mountains around us were stunning - it is called karst scenery (maybe Myfanwy, our geology guru can explain more) with great big mountains with jagged ridges and sheer sides covered in dense forest. Vang Viene is a one horse-town that looks as if it has just landed in the middle of nowhere amonsgt these great mountains. There is one main street, lined with bars and guesthouses and some further places to stay down by the river, which is where we managed to get a room. The reason that Vang Viene is so popular is its setting, remoteness and tranquility which has of course being ruined by the hoards of party goers that descend here to take advantage of the liberal attitude to drugs. No self-respecting Lao would still be living here out of choice I'm sure in the Ibiza-type atmosphere. Having said that, a few of us went to a Full Moon Party last night (just to see what it was like of course) that was being held on an island in the river just behind our hotel. After a couple of hours of seeing people drinking cocktails of beer and spirits out of small plastic buckets, wearing their pants on their head and climbing up trees howling at the moon (which by now had gone into hiding behind the clouds) we left the party to the relative calm of the town. At least I can put on my CV that I've been to one.

Before I sign off, I'd just like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GWENDA - have a Pina Colada for me!

OK, I'm off now, Marc can fill in the gaps in the Language of Heaven later. That foot massage is calling ... xxx

Tuesday, 20 November 2007

Cyrraedd Chang Kong - Laos yn ein disgwyl

Wedi cyrraedd ein cartref am heno mewn hostel fach yn Chang Kong. Mae wedi ei leoli ar lannau'r Mekong yn edrych yngroes i Laos ar yr ochr arall. Hyfryd iawn, gyda llwybr yn rhedeg ar hyd ochr yr afon. Trueni ein bod yma am gyn lleied o amser, mae'n dawel ac yn 'very laid back' - bydd jyst rhaid i ni ddod nol yma eto. Newydd brynnu bobi cwshin i'n tunau bach delicet ar gyfer y trip ar y 'slow boat' fory - rhywbeth ac argymhellwyd iddom.

Just arrived in the sleepy little town of Chang Kong on the banks of the Mekong river - and we thought that Chiang Mai was laid back .... Tomorrow morning we cross into Laos via the Friendship Bridge then we have two days of floating down the river, staying at Pakbeng tomorrow night. We read in the guidebook on the way that it's a good idea to take a cushion with you as the wooden benches can be a bit hard on the butt for 2 whole days, so we strolled into town and found a place just like Charlies in Aber and bought a couple. Others on the same trip have spotted them and there is now an official rush on cushions in town.

I'd like to take you on a slow-boat to Laos ....... all by myself ........

Monday, 19 November 2007

Lluniau ar lein Flickr / Flickr Online Photo Album

Newyddion da o lawenydd mawr. Rydym wedi llwyddo i roi rhai o'n lluniau ar y linc isod:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marc_nia/

Great news. We have managed to upload some of our photos for your perusal on the above link.

Eliffantod, Jwngwl a Bocsio Thai

Buom ddiwrnod cyfan yn mynd ogwmpas hen ddinas Sukhothai ar gefn feic yn gweld fwy o demlau a bwdas na sydd o Gapeli yng Nghymru. Mi'r oedd yr hen ddinas wedi ei leoli yng nghanol y wlad gyda gerddi hyfryd ogwmpas y temlau a diolch byth mi'r oedd yn ddiwrnod gweddol gymylog oherwydd doedd dim lloches o'r haul heblaw ni. Gyda'r hwyr cawsom y pryd bwyd orau hyd yma - cyri Masaman mewn bwyty bach wrth ymyl ein hostel. Rwy'n credu fod yna gystadleuaeth brwd rhwng y rhes o fwytau sydd wedi eu leoli un ar bwys y llall oherwydd pan y byddwn ni'n cerdded heibio pob un byddai'r staff yn galw allan "Sawadee Kup" i'n cyfarch a'n croesawi i fewn i'w bwyty nhw.

Y diwrnod canlynol roeddem ar fws eto yn teithio i fyny i Chiang Mai. Prif tref gogledd Thailand. Cawsom ein casglu gan staff yr hostel o'r orsaf fws a'n perswadwyd ni i fynychu trec dau ddiwrnod un noswaith yn y jwngwl ar y diwrnod canlynol yn hytrach na diwrnod yn ddiweddarach a felly rhoi'r gorau i ddiwrnod o orffwys roeddem wedi bwriadu cael. Ond fe drodd popeth allan yn dda iawn a cawsom llawer iawn o hwyl a sbort. Roedd yna 11 ohonom yn y parti trecio gyda dau grwt ifanc lleol yn ein harwain, sef Pwn a Jo-Jo - dau llawn hwyl a oedd yn ymuno gyda sbort y grwp. Gan gynnwys Nia a finne, roedd yna gwpwl o Ffrainc, Jimmy a Auda, Ed o Kent, Danny a Eddie o Lincoln ac yna grwp o bedwar o Swydd Rhydychen, Gibbo, Katie, James (Messa) a Scott. Tynnodd y grwp gyda'u gilydd yn syth ac roedd llawer o hwyl a sbri dros y ddau ddiwrnod buom gyda'n gilydd.

Yn gyntaf aethom i reido Eliffantod. Dyma'r tro cyntaf i mi gwrdd ar creaduriaid hyfryd - rhai dwi wedi eu edmygu ers amser maith. Mi'r oeddent yn greaduriaid bywiog iawn gyda llawer o bersenoliaeth ac yn ddigon hapus i ni eu cyffwrth a fwy na hapus in ni ei bwydio gyda bananas a 'sugar cane'. Roedd ei croen i gyffwrdd yn llawer fwy llyfn a meddal na'r disgwyl. Cafodd Nia a finne fynd ar yr eliffant mwya - do fe wnaeth Nia gytuno rhoi go arni! Bwjo oedd ei enw a hwn oedd yr unig eliffant gwrwaidd ac mi'r oedd ei faint yn enfawr wrth ei gymharu a gweddill yr eliffantod. Cawsom eistedd ar sedd i ddau berson wedi ei leoli ar dop cefn yr eliffant gyda gyrrwr bach yn eistedd jyst tu ol i glustiau'r eliffant. Roedd y gyrrwr yn fachan hapus iawn a gwen fawr ar ei wyneb yn canu rownd abowt. Beth oedd yn cadw Bwjo'n hapus oedd estyn ei drwnc dros ei ben ef a'r gyrrwr i'n cyfeiriad ni ble bydden ni wedyn yn ei fwydio gyda bananas. Ac wrth i ni drafaelu drwy'r jwngwl byddai gorsaf bob yn nawr ac yn y man lle gallem brynnu rhagor o fananas er mwyn cadw Bwjo'n hapus. Wrth deithio ar lawr gwastad doedd dim prblem, ond pan roedd Bwjo yn dringo ac yn enwedig wrth gostwng rhaid oedd dal ymlaen yn sownd! Wedi ychydig fe neidiodd ein gyrrwr oddi ar Bwjo ac yna fy nghroesawi i i symud lawr o'm sedd er mwyn lleoli fy hun fel gyrrwr Bwjo - er nid oedd gennym unrhyw rheolaeth drosto ac mi'r oedd Bwjo yn gwneud beth bynnag roedd yn mynni - ond fe fuhafiodd yn iawn ar y cyfan ac mi'r oedd yn brofiad gwych.

Wedi cinio fe ddechreuodd ein trec yn y jwngwl, ryw pedair awr o gerdded lan a lawr mewn jwngwl hyfryd yn aml yn cerdded wrth ymyl afon neu nant gan gymryd holl luniau. Cawsom aros wrth ymyl rhaeadr am ychydig ble newidom fewn i'n dillad nofio am dip bach yn y dwr i'n cwlo ni lawr. Rhagor o gerdded wedyn ac erbyn 5 o'r gloch roedd pawb bron wedi blino'n lan yn enwedig gan fod yr awr olaf yn fwy o ddringo na cherdded. Yna gwelsom ar ddraws rhai caeau o reis cwpwl o hyts o bren ac roeddem yn gobeithio mae hyna oedd terfyn ein taith am y diwrnod - a diolch byth mi oedd. Gwell byth oedd gweld focs oer llawn ia a chwrw oer oedd yn ein disgwyl ac aeth pawb yn syth amdano. Cawsom "gawod" fach gloi - yn gloi nid o rhan dewis ond gan mai'r cyfan ydoedd oedd tap dwr oer (iawn) wedi ei leoli reit nesa i'r ty bach sgwat mewn sied bren. Ond yn fuan iawn roedd pawb wedi anghofio eu blinder ac roedd gwenau ar ein gwynebau fel roedd tin ar ol tin o cwrw oer Chang yn llifo i lawr ein gyddgau wrth rhannu storiau o jocs a thynnu ambell goes. Mae'n tywyllu tua 6yh ac fe aeth bron popeth yn ddu bitch o'n cwmpas - peth da oedd i Nia a finne dod a'n 'head torches', rhywbeth roedd pawb yn falch ohono yn enwedig pan roedd angen defnyddio'r ty bach.

Mae'n troi allan roedden ni i gyd i aros mewn 'communal hut' fawr wrth ymyl ffermdy teulu bach (gwr, gwraig a bachgen bach ryw 3-4 oed). Roedd yr adeiladau i gyd wedi eu wneud o bren ac yn ein hyt fawr ni roedd nifer o flancedi a netiau moscito wedi ei drefnu'n daclus ar ei hyd. Wrth ystyried ein lleoliad yng nghanol unman gyda chyfleuterau syml reit i ddweud y gorau cawsom wledd i fwyta y noswaith hynny. Paratowyd digonedd o fwyd - beansprouts a noodles, sweet a sour a'r gorau i gyd cyri coch Thai. Llanwodd pawb ei boliau a chadw ymlaen i yfed y Chang. Maes o law, credai'r 'hosts' fod angen fwy o fwyd arnom a daethant allan a llygoden ffyrnig roeddent newydd ei dal mewn trap. Rhoddwyd y lygoden ar y tan a'i farbeciwio gyda rhai o'n grwp yn tynnu gwynebau ac eraill yn mynu rhoi cynnig ar ei flasu. Cymerias ychydig o'r gynffon a oedd yn blasu fel 'pork scratchings' a ychydig o'r goes oedd yn blasu yn union fel ... ie, cyw iar!

Wedi'r cwrw orffen chwiliasom ein gwelau a cael ein deffro'n llawer rhy gynnar gan nid jyst un ond dau geiliog wedi eu lleoli reit tu allan i'r drws a hynny cyn iddi oleuo'n iawn. Wedi brecwast bant a ni eto am rhagor o gerdded trwy jwngwl, gweld pentref y pobl lleol, rhagor o nofio ger rhaeadr arall a hyd yn oed gem fach o beldroed ar gae o bridd coch. Yna, fel roeddwn bron a llwgi ar ol cerdded drwy cae ar ol cae o goed bananas cyrraeddom diwedd ein taith gerdded ble roedd cinio o Pad Tai yn ein disgwyl. Ond nid oedd yr hwyl drosodd - mynd wedyn ar rafft o fambw. Cafodd Nia, Ed a finne y capten mwya dwl i'n tywys lawr yr afon - 'Captain Crazy' fel yr enwebo ni ef ond eto cawsom llawer o hwyl. Roedd y capen yn benderfynol o'n twli ni oddi ar y rafft i'r afon. Nid byddai hynny wedi gwneud llawer o wahanieth gan yr oeddwn yn cael ein gwlychu sops wrth jyst eistedd ar yr rafft. Mewn ychydig rhoddwyd i mi y polyn roedd yn cael ei ddefnyddio i lywio'r rafft ac yna fe aeth popeth yn gyffroes iawn wrth i ni ond osgoi'r holl wahanol peryglon a hyd yn oed ddim ar ambell i achlysur! Yn rhy fuan ddaeth yr hwyl i ben ac er i'r capten methu yn ei ymdrechio i'n cael i'r dwr roedden ni gyd yn wlyb on top i'n gwaelod gyda Ed druan a rhwyg fawr yn ei siorts a phawb yn gwneud sbort ar ei ben ... a'i ben-ol!

Nol i'r hostel wedyn am gawod poeth hir a hyfryd i ddod dros anturiaethau'r ddau ddiwrnod diwethaf. Allan wedyn am ddiod gyda'r rhai o'n grwp oedd yn aros yn yr un hostel. Cawsom dipyn o grac gyda Gibbo, Katie, James a Scott dros y cwpwl o ddyddiau canlynol - yn gwario amser yng nghwni'n gilydd wrth ymyl y pwll nofio a hefyd pan aethom i gyd i weld bocsio Thai. Maent erbyn hyn wedi mynd ymlaen i Loas ac maent yn gwneud yr union yr un taith yr ydym yn golgu cychwyn arni fory. Efallai y bwddwn yn dal lan a nhw hwyr neu hwyrach, roeddwn yn joio tynnu coesau'r Saeson.

Chiang Mai - Jewel of the North

Arrived at Chiang Mai last Wednesday from Sukhothai, the scenery getting more mountainous and lush as we travelled further north. Chiang Mai is the capital of the old Lamma Kingdom, the old city being built in the 13th century within 3 concentric walls and 2 moats to keep the Burmese out. Being set in the mountains and surrounded by forest makes it the ideal centre for outdoor activities and there is now a thriving backpacker scene in the new city, outside the old city walls. Even though Chiang Mai is now a Thai province, it still upholds the tradition of having its own King, even though he is a figurehead with no power. Traffic swarms outside the city walls but inside, the streets are small and leafy with cafes and guesthouses. The Chiang Mai night sky is dotted with the little orange lights of paper lanterns sent up into the darkness. We can understand why some people arrive with plans to stay for 2 days then end up staying for 2 weeks instead.

We seem to have done so much since we arrived, so here, in bite-sized pieces is what we've been up to.

TUESDAY - 2 DAY HILL TRIBE TREK
(or otherwise known as I've Got Rat Stuck in my Teeth ...)

11 intrepid adventurers joined our guides, Pun and Jojo in the pickup, carrying our day-packs, containing the essentials on the list we'd been given in the briefing meeting the night before. On the list were a long-sleeved top and fleece as it's cool season in Thailand apparently! We also took along our swiss army knife in case we needed to slay a wild animal for our tea, or construct a bridge to cross a deep ravine (we didn't, just as well). Our first stop was an elephant trek and our ride was called Bujo - the only bull in the herd, 25 years old and twice the size of the others. The ride took about an hour and at intervals along the way there were raised platforms where 'farang' (tourists) could buy a great big bunch of bananas or sugar cane for 20 bhts (30p) 'to make friendly with elephant'. No elephant is going to pass up the chance of a snack and they all stopped expectantly at each one. When the purchase had been made, a huge big muddy trunk would come waving backwards to collect. At the first station, Bojo had taken the whole bunch, so at the second station, we got wise and put them on the seat between us - only for them to be nicked by the elephant following behind! Marc had a go in the driving seat, sat on Bojo's neck, legs down behind his ears - pretending to be a big chief. We had lunch - and guess what was for pudd - yes, a banana!

HILL TRIBE TREK

The clue should have been in the name really, but 20 seconds into the trek and the path started to rise sharply up a red clay path baked solid in the heat. Calf muscles were soon screaming and sweat started to pour off (and continued to do so for 2 days). We walked for about half an hour to the sound of thunderous waterfalls and when Pun told us that we could go swimming in a big pool in the river to cool off, it was heaven. On we went, stopping occasionally to catch breath at the top of particularly steep bits, crossing rivers balancing on logs and bamboo bridges and swinging from the lianas (OK I made the last bit up). Three sticky, humid, sweaty hours later we arrived at our camp for the night, which was one big hut with 12 mattresses (more like a blanket) and sleeping bags side by side on a bamboo floor with mozzie nets hanging above. The facilities for freshening up was a bamboo shed with holes in the side which were covered by blankets for modesty. The shed had a squat loo and a standpipe with icy cold water for showering. There was huge long table and benches which is where we sat all evening eating and drinking by candlelight. I've never been anywhere so dark in all my life - even with night eyes it was like 'bol buwch' - pitch black. Pun made a wonderful meal - six great big bowls of red curry, sweet and sour and noodles and beansprouts with mountains of rice. A meal never tasted so good. One of the ladies of the tribe brought home a rat that she had just taken from the hunting-trap in the woods. Pun singed all its hair off on the camp fire then skewered it head to tail and bbq'd it until it was cooked (charred). We all had pieces to eat - we both had some tail and hind leg and it tasted like a pork scratching! One of the trekkers crunched open the skull and ate the brain (sorry that was probably too much information). And so to bed ... some slept like logs (the males) and others (the 3 females in the group) were awake all night, just dropping off when the cockerel started at about 6am. There was a constant procession to the toilet through the night, people swearing quietly as the fell over everything and nothing in their efforts to get to the hut door in the dark so as not to disturb the others. It poured down at intervals through the night and I was just expecting to feel drops landing on my forehead, but thankfully not. Breakfast was a leisurely affair - lots of toast and jam and piles of fruit.

Farang used to stay in the village with the hill tribe until a couple of years ago when the tribe decided that they'd had enough of the noise and not being able to sleep so they built a purpose-built camp about 10 minutes walk from the main village for the foreigners - and this is where we stayed. On the way to see the village proper and meet some people, (another calf burning climb) we came to a clearing in the woods that they had flattened and made a football pitch with grandstand! A first to three goals match ensued and by the time we got to the village, all but a few women left at home to look after the animals, had gone to work or to school at the next village. So much for the cultural bit. On we went, slipping and sliding our way downstream to another welcome stop at a waterfall for a swim. This time it was possible to walk behind the waterfall and try and stand under it without falling over. An expensive flip-flop was washed away here and we told Gibbo who had lost it, to throw the other one in too as someone would probably be waiting patiently on a rock downstream somewhere waiting to see if it arrived. The last leg of the trek took us to lunch and back to the pickup - all filthy, sweaty and exhausted but with big smiles. Huge thanks must go to Pun and Jojo, the two local lads, for making the trek so fantastic - they made bamboo walking sticks for us, a bamboo pop-gun for shooting little stinging pellets of soggy paper at each other, caught a snake and threw a stick into a wasps nest then shouting 'run' and making us eat rat.

BAMBOO RAFTING

Last activity of the 2 days was bamboo rafting. We had been told that it was a very sedate way of floating down the river for half an hour - not! 10 thick bamboo logs are strapped together to form a raft about 10 metres long with a one man at the front, one at the back and passengers sat side by side in the middle, in the water. Our first front man was crazy, trying his best to tip us all off the raft and shouting crocodile whilst running up and down the raft then our second front man was even crazier - it was Marc. Once he found his balance, he steered up through rapids and around other rafts that were having a more quiet time. We had one hairy moment as we headed for overhanging trees that would had wiped us all out, had we not lay flat on the raft, clinging on tightly. I had expected to see Marc in the water, but no - he was still on and sprung back on his feet in an instant. One thing that can't go unmentioned was the small tear in Ed's shorts which suddenly turned into a huge rip all the way down to the bottom (past his bottom) that left his shorts flapping. We made sure that we pointed it out to everyone we passed on the riverbank - as Katie said, cracking view!

MUAY THAI (you're doing well if you're still with me)

Friday night is Thai Boxing night in Chiang Mai and we went along with 4 fellow trekkers, Pun and Jojo. The stadium is just outside town and I was expecting to see a rough and ready shack with unruly crowds and no-holds barred stuff but I was pleasantly surprised (if you can be pleasantly surprised at a boxing stadium). There were 8 matches on the programme for the evening, in a professional looking ring, complete with 3 judges and referee. Some of the fighters wore coloured armbands and feathers around their arms to accentuate their muscles and headbands with big ponytails sticking out of the back. After a lot of showing-off and strutting around the ring, the headbands were taken off then, to the sound of a tinkling bell; music to charm snakes to and a cheering crowd, they proceeded to punch and kick seven bells out of each other and it was great! A match consists of 5 rounds of 3 minutes each and the more action there was, the quicker the rounds seemed to go. Every time a kick landed, everyone in the crowd cheered and the seconds went crazy during flurries and holds. Wagers are made between individuals in the crowd, the money being held by another impartial person until the end of the bout. Without doubt - the best fight of the evening was won by a farang, a blond bloke that we reckoned probably came from Glasgow. I'd recommend this to anyone for a great night out.

LONG NECK TRIBE ETC DAY OUT (won't be long now)

A word to the wise - don't' go on this trip unless you're happy to spend 3 times as long on a bus as seeing interesting things outside the bus. First stop was an orchid and butterfly farm where we at least got to try out the macro setting on our new camera and I now know how to breed an orchid but I don't think I'll bother all the same. A long drive to Chiang Dop caves where we saw Burmese Buddhas and other sculptures inside the cave. We could only go so far into the cave as the rest of the complex was closed due to rains and high water levels - understandable given recent tragic events. Ning, our guide was excellent though, explaining the history of Chiang Mai province and the difference between Chiang Mai buddhas and Sukhothai Buddhas. Chiang Mai or Lanna buddhas are the happy little round smiling chappies that we usually associate with Buddha. Sukhothai Buddhas are thin and unsmiling, reflecting all the wars and conflicts that Sukhothai have been part of over the years, in contrast to Lamma who have had a more peaceful history. Last on the list was a visit to see the Padanung tribe, part of the Karen family of Burmese tribes that have settled in North Thailand in the wake of civil war. Children of the tribe born in Thailand are given Thai citizenship so they will be able to work and be a part of the
Thai community in future. The Thai government also provides free education for them.
Adults however, depend on the income from selling handicrafts and the tourist trade and they flock in busfulls to see the ladies of the tribe - known as the long-neck tribe. From childhood, females wear a brass ring around their neck and one will be added to every year until she is 30 and she will wear them until she dies. The tribe believe that the rings protect the girls from being bitten on the neck by tigers as they work in the fields. They also wear rings on their legs as protection from scorpions and snakes. The village consisted of just a dusty street of stalls and women weaving cotton scarves and sewing bags. We had been told that it was OK to take photos of the ladies but it still felt a little voyeuristic until some of them started the hard-sell and it was difficult to get through the sea of painted faces and blackened teeth all calling 'looking here'.
Then is was back in the bus for another arduous 3 hours back to Chiang Mai, a nice cool beer and a wander around the massive night bazaar - but that's another story ...


A Word about Squat Toilets

... because they were the subject of much conversation before we left. I must say that 2 weeks in, I'm getting used to the idea and technique of a squat toilet (you'll only wet your feet the one time). I was so taken by the first one I went into (it was decorated beautifully in pink mosaic tiles) that I had to take a picture of it. Between negotiating the loo itself and the photo shoot, it took quite a while and Marc thought that there had been an incident of some kind. The only thing is, is that it deprives you of what could sometimes be a welcome 2 minute sit down, to 'take the weight off' but looking on the bright side, we'll have thighs of steel by the time we leave!

Sunday, 11 November 2007

Life is but a Dew Drop on a Lotus Leaf

Cawsom ein casglu o'r hostel bore 'ma am 7 o'r gloch - rhy gynnar i gael brecwast oedd ddim yn dechrau tan 7.30 - dim dechrau da i ddiwrnod Marc. Ond gwellodd pethau yn go gloi wrth i ni fynd yn y tacsi gan bod y gyrrwr yn gwybod canlyniadau peldroed Dydd Sadwrn.

Ar ol siwrnau o 6 awr ar y bys, cyrraeddom Sukhotai - brifddinas gyntaf teyrnas Thailand. Rydym yn aros yn yr hen ddinas sydd ryw 10km o'r ddinas newydd "fodern". Mae yma holl olion o demlau ac ati o'r 14fed ganrif ac rydym yn bwriadu hurio bobi feic yfory i weld y safle i gyd.

Mae na ddigonedd o gyfleuserau rhyngrwyd i gael yma - hyd yn oed yn y caffis bach lleiaf felly fydd dim problem diweddaru'r blog.


We were collected from our digs in Bangkok at 7 this morning which was too early for breakfast which was not a good start to the day for Marc, but things soon brightened up as the taxi driver knew all the results of the football on Saturday. He asked us from which country we were from and as has happened with all the males who have asked the same so far, when we mentioned Wales - he said Ryan Giggs straight away! The women have replied Princess Diana and this frustrates Marc very much and he explains that Diana was not Welsh but I don't think they understand. One or two have mentioned Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey - obviously good kareoke material.

After 6 hours on the bus we arrived at Sukhotai which is the ancient capital of the Kingdom. The city is divided into two parts - new Sukhotai is the "modern" bit and the old part where we are staying is a walled city scattered with the ruins of temples and other structures in lush surroundings. Monks still live in a village like settlement in the middle of the city which is on an island in the middle of a lake full of water-lillies. You are free to cross one of two wooden bridges to the island and walk around amongst the monks as they go about their daily business. There are dozens of plaques on trees around the island bearing philosophical quotations and sayings and the Dew Drop on the Lotus Leaf was one of them. I also liked "When the candles go out, all women are fair". We intend to hire a couple of bikes tomorow to see the whole site. At night, the ruins are illuminated by hundreds of little oil lamps, it's really lovely.

Saturday, 10 November 2007

Return from Paradise

Dychwelon ddoe i BKK wedi rhai dyddiau bendigedig yn Ko Samet - nefoedd ar y ddaear. Gwneud dim byd ond bola heulio, nofio mewn dwr mor cynnes, bwyta bwyd blasus Thai, yfed cwrw ardderchog Chang a chymdeithasu gyda ymwelwyr eraill. Ar ein noswaith olaf yna roedd yna wir flas rhyngwladol ar ein bwrdd wrth i ni fwyta gyda dwy chwaer o Israel, Gwyddel ac Almaenes ac ni gyd yn mwynhau a rhannu gwahanol brydiau. Wedyn fe ymunodd pump person arall a'r parti - Gwyddel arall, dyn o'r Iseldiroedd, Almaenwr a dwy Americanes yn llanw'r bwrdd gyda photeli gwag o gwrw tra yn rhannu storiau a phrofiadau mor belled.

Mae Nia yn bles iawn o'i hun gan iddi benderfynnu mae i Ko Samet yr aethom ni - mae'n debyg fod yna lifogydd mawr wedi bod yn ein opsiynau eraill fel Phuket, Ko Phi Phi ac hyd yn oed Ko Samui tra na allai fod yn frafach yn Ko Samet. Anodd iawn felly oedd gadael bore ddoe gyda'r tywydd cystal ac erioed a rhaid oedd codi'n gynnar iawn am 8 y.b. er mwyn mynd am un nofiad olaf (wel, mae 8 y.b. yn gynnar iawn i ni dyddie yma). Dechreuodd ein trip nol am 11 y.b. ar sawngthaew, gan adael yr ynys ar fferi a chyrraedd nol yn BKK ar fws am tua 5 y.p.

Heddiw, rydym wedi mynd ar Tuk Tuk am y tro cyntaf ar draws y ddinas. Roedd yn dipyn o hwyl a'r peth agosaf gallaf ei gymharu iddo yw y 'rollercoaster rides' mawr yn America - 'a bit of a white knuckle ride' wrth wibio drwy'r holl draffig. Aethom i swyddfa TAT er mwyn gwneud trefniadau i fynd lan i'r gogledd ac yna ar draws i Laos cyn gweithio am lawr i Cambodia a nol i BBK ar y 4ydd o Ragfyr er mwyn gweld dathliadau mawr penblwydd y Brenin yn 80. Felly, falle ni fydd llawer o hanes am ychydig, bydd yn ddibynol os oes internet i gael yn y mannau anghysbell yma.


We bounced our way off Ko Samet very reluctantly yesterday morning. I am sure that all the people we passed having breakfast at the beach bar were wearing the same secret smug look that we've been sporting all week, watching others drag their feet up the path and through the trees, glancing back wistfully. We had a great last evening, dinner and a few Singha beers on the beach front with a truly international flavour - two sisters, Elinor and Mika from Israel, Gordy from Germany, Don and John from Eire, Elisha and Sarah from Minnesota, Pascal from the Netherlands and another guy from Germany - sorry I can't remember his name but I do remember that he is 28. We have invited them all to come and stay and it would be great if they all turned up at the same time.

We are now back in BKK making arrangements for the next three weeks. We leave in the morning, heading north then across the border to Laos and down into Cambodia so updates may be few and far between but keep watching incase. We had our first ride in a Tuk Tuk this morning - weaving through the Saturday morning rush and being choked by all the traffic fumes whilst hanging on and laughing all the way, with the driver joining in the fun. However, this was bought to an abrupt stop when our driver was pulled over by a policeman wearing Chips style sunglasses and a mouth mask. He wanted to inspect our drivers documents before he grabbed the Tuk Tuk keys from the ignition and just walked off. Our driver made chase and 10 minutes later he returned with his keys having had to pay 300 Bahts for their return. Given that his fares with us for most of the moring totalled about 70 Bahts, it was quite upsetting to see a victim of what is a common racket. The driver was a real joy - a typical friendly Thai who had been proud to point out places of interest to us as we sped past as we had told him it was our first ride in a Tuk Tuk.

In Thailand the King is very much revered by the people and he'll be 80 on 5th December. We will be back in BKK to join in the celebrations, which promise to be spectacular and we'll be joining no other than Nathan Wallbridge who'll be our guide for the day.

Marc has decided that in the interest of indigenous people and businesses, he will be consuming only the local brew for the duration of the trip and a record will be kept in the form of a bottle label collection. He intends to put them all together in the form of a montage for display. From December 2008, this masterpiece will be open for viewing in the downstairs toilet at Ysgubor Lon. (No doubt there'll be one or two contributions there from Nia as well.)

Wednesday, 7 November 2007

Candlelight Beach

Rydym wedi darganfod paradwys o'r enw Ko Samet lle mae bywyd mor rhwydd ac mor bell o'r hyn rydym yn gyfarwydd a. Dim byd yw wneud ond ymlacio ar draeth gwyn o dan haul disglair ger mor wyrdd las sydd fel cerdded i fewn i fath pan rydym yn medru dod o hyd i'r egni i godi o'n stolion haul. Dim lot rhagor i'w ddweud ond fod y cwrw lleol cystal a'r lleoliad. Mae Nia yn argymell y Singha (4.9%) ond mae Marc yn stico i'r Chang (6.3%!!!!!!!).

Candlelight Beach, Ao Thian, Ko Samet - look it up on the internet, or even better come here and see for yourselves.

Arrived on Monday afternoon after a 3 hour bus and boat ride from Bangkok. The island taxi possy were waiting for the boat with their songathews which are basically pick-up trucks with a bench down each side with the object of stuffing as many tourists and their luggage in as possible. For the first 200 yards being wedged in was good, as it meant that we weren't bounced off the back of the truck as the state of the road (we use the term very loosely) is soooo bad. Then we came to the first beach stop and the people who had to get out were moaning and protesting that if they knew it was so close to the port they would have walked and saved the half hour they had to wait until the songathew was jam-packed and also the 20 bahts they paid to go around the corner! 160 bahts and 20 minutes of clinging on for life later, we arrived - and WOW! (Jo - you were right).

Candlelight Beach is very Jack Johnson and coconuts. The pace of life is so laid back it makes the people on the Bacardi advert look as if they're on speed. A typical day is wake up to the sound of waves and the odd nut falling onto the hut roof (yes, I know, they shouldn't have been up there in the first place), swim, banana pancakes for breakfast, beach, swim, read, snooze, swim, walk, swim, snooze, read, and one last twilight swim at 6.00pm before it gets dark. Then dress for dinner - t-shirt and flipflops. The most strenuous thing we do all day is attract the attention of the fruit selling man who must stagger miles up and down the beaches every day, but his fresh mango and pineapple is chin-dribbingly juicy, sweet and wonderful.

One useless observation from this week - all the dogs on this island are the same shape and size! They come in different colours but all are the size of a spaniel with a curly tail and pointy ears! Oh, all the cats have only half a tail - in fact you could say that they're stumpy .....

Sunday, 4 November 2007

Ni yma!

Sawasdee Kup.
Di ni wedi cyrraedd yn saff ac yn iach. Mae'r tywydd yn boeth reit ac mae'n ymdrech jyst cerdded lawr y stryd. Wedi gweld llawer o Buddhas - wedi'u gwneud o aur pur, 'concrete' ac 'jade' a llawer iawn o demlau i gyd wedi eu arddurno'n hardd gyda chrefftwaith arbennig. Cawsom drip ar gwch 'James Bond' ar yr afon a oedd yn wych ac wedi cael blasu'r cuisine lleol sy'n fendigedig. Mynd nawr i chilio am tuk tuk sy'n fodlon mynd a ni lle i ni am fynd ac nid i siopau maent am i ni fynd iddynt!

Sawadee Ka from Bangkok - the Venice of the East. This city is incredible - it's suffocating but breathtaking, filthy but beautiful. It is also very hot and sticky - just like the food. Arrived late on Friday night and went straight to the hostel - too tired to even go and look for food - just crashed until the morning. Saturday, took a tour around the city with Sam our guide and our driver in an old Volvo. We have seen sitting Buddhas, reclining Buddhas, standing Buddhas and plastic Buddhas. We were all templed-out by last night. Took a fantastic trip on the river - hired a thai long-boat for just the two of us and Sam then he took us to eat in a backstreet gaffe where we were the only 'round-eyes' - it was superb. Took a walk through the night market last night and nearly lost Marc to a hand, attached to a large chest that emerged from the shadows. Nia missed it all as she was trying to avoid stepping into a huge family of cockroaches out for their evening walk also. After looking for ages, found great place to eat, just around the corner from the hostel - very tasty and a bargain even for a Cardi - going back again tonight. Staying in Bangkok until Tuesday then heading off in search of paradise on Koh Samet. Bye.

Thursday, 1 November 2007

Wele Gwawriodd ...

Ie - mae'n gyntaf o Dachwedd ac mae hynny yn golygu fod Margaret Lewis yn dathlu ei phenblwydd yn 50 mlwydd ifanc heddiw. Penblwydd hapus i ti Mags, gobeithio y cei dy spwylo'n racs.

Mae'r bagiau yn barod ar bocs tocyn wedi'i baratoi ar gyfer siwrnau'r bws felly mae'n amser mynd i gwely cyn codi i ddechrau'r antur.

Mae Mam wedi bod wrthi yn cyfansoddi pennillion i ni - rydym yn disgwyl gweld Cadair yr Eisteddfod yn Nhalybont flwyddyn nesaf pan ddown adref - a cwshin bach pert arni siwr o fod.

I Nia a Marc

Pob hwyl a phob sbri
Ar eich taith dros y lli,
Byddwch saff ar eich shwrne
Wrth gario'r holl bwysau,
Meddyliwch amdanom
Nawr yn y man, ac mewn ymgom,
Ac ar ol gweld yr holl fyd
O'i led ac o'i hyd,
A ninnau ar y blog yn eich dilyn
Trowch am gartre nol, bron pen y flwyddyn.

Hwyl pawb - welwn ni chi yn Bangkok. Ta ta.

Well the day has finally dawned, the bags are packed and the sarnies for the bus journey from Swansea to Heathrow have been made. We will probably start tucking-in around 2 junctions down the M4.

Panic has been overcome by a strange sense of calm - the homeopathic diazapan that Tracey brought up earlier is obviously kicking in.

Bye all - Bangkok here we come.

Goodbye Little Columbus,
Goodbye, I'll see you one day,
Goodbye Little Columbus,
You're just travelling, travelling, travelling ...

Chris Rea